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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27525751">Bring Your Kid to Work Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaRaEa/pseuds/KaRaEa'>KaRaEa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-typical language, Episode: s07e13 The Slice Girls, Gen, M/M, Slow Burn, Supernatural fandom revival, What do you mean the show didn't end at nine seasons?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 06:00:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,014</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27525751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaRaEa/pseuds/KaRaEa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Winchester isn't human. But that's okay, not every Winchester is.</p><p>Monster or not, Dean doesn't abandon family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Emma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been writing this mostly for my own satisfaction for a little while now with no intentions of posting it as it's divergent from so long ago in the show's timeline and I have no intention of ever watching s11-15. But after the latest resurgence in the destiel fandom from those who abandoned the show when I did, I thought I may as well share it.</p><p>This is a destiel fic, but the destiel takes its time coming as this is also a self-indulgent "Emma lives because wtf was the show thinking giving Dean a canon kid and then having him forget about her being murdered right in front of him by the next episode" fic. So. There's that.</p><p>There's about 15k written so far and an outline for the rest of the story, but it isn't finished. Tags and warnings are subject to change but any potentially triggering changes will be strongly considered and warned about before being added</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The second Dean sees her, he knows. A lead weight drops in his gut and he can't take his eyes off her even while her mom gives him the run around. Barely paying attention, Dean manages to get an invitation to come in and have a drink, despite his latest bedpost notch giving him the stinkeye while she reluctantly offers the invitation.</p><p>"Coffee?" She asks. </p><p>He doesn't know what he's said to get this far. His mouth was on autopilot, only knowing he had to get closer to... to her. "Yeah," he responds belatedly. He steps towards the crib the moment he's alone with the baby. She's beautiful. Dean looks up as Lydia comes back in with the drinks. He must've been staring longer than he'd thought. "What's her name?"</p><p>"Emma," Lydia says, the stink eye sharpening.</p><p>"Emma," Dean repeats softly.</p><p>They play along with the ruse a while longer. He has a feeling they both know what's really going on, but he isn't sure how to broach it until Emma starts crying. Lydia picks her up and gives her a bottle and Dean tries and fails to feel nothing at the sight of the baby's pink, distressed face. It comes out without him meaning for it to. "She's mine, isn't she?"</p><p>Lydia freezes, then fixes him with a fake ass smile that's about as friendly as a punch in the face. "You're funny."</p><p>"Cut the crap," Dean says. "I know what you are."</p><p>The smile drops. "And I know what you are. Hunter."</p><p>"Is she mine?" Dean presses. He knows. There's no question in his mind, but he has to ask anyway.</p><p>Lydia's chin lifts. "She's mine."</p><p>Dean scoffs. "What? You don't wanna hit me up for child support?" He shakes his head. "You know I'm not walking away from this."</p><p>She doesn't say anything, but it's clear she hears the threat. She shifts, eyes going freaky red and fingers flexing. He's sure they'll turn to claws the second he gets close.</p><p>"Sweetheart, I've killed scarier monsters than you in my sleep," Dean says, hand twitching towards his belt. "You picked the wrong baby daddy."</p><p>"What do you want?" Lydia demands. </p><p>Dean's eyes flicker to the baby. His baby. He hesitates.</p><p>"It was supposed to be her birthright, killing you," Lydia says in response to his silence. "But I suppose we'll have to find another way for her to be initiated."</p><p>Dean shakes his head automatically. </p><p>The fight is fast and brutal. Dean's not entirely sure all his guts are on the inside by the end of it, but Lydia comes out worse. An annoyingly sympathetic part of him wonders if it's because she's only just given birth. The larger part of him doesn't give a shit.</p><p>He peels the baby from her arms and tries to ignore how she's already so much bigger than she was just five minutes ago. "How do I look after her?"</p><p>Lydia, prone on the floor and bleeding out steadily, looks at him incredulously.</p><p>"Tell me! This whole rapid aging thing has to have some downsides, right? How often do I need to feed her?" Dean presses. "Is there special Amazon baby formula?"</p><p>"The others will be here to collect her soon," Lydia spits.</p><p>Dean curses and looks around the room. There's a changing bag and the bottle Lydia was using before. Dean scoops up both and moves into the kitchen. He grabs the can of formula and a second, clean bottle and stuffs them into the bag. He considers going upstairs to see if there's clothes or diapers or anything he can use, but Lydia's warning rings in his ears and he heads straight for the door instead.</p><p>"You won't get far!" Lydia shouts after him, her voice strained and laced with pain.</p><p>There's no car seat in his baby. His inanimate baby. Dean almost goes back to find one, but the sight of a car full of women headed down the street has him holding Emma in his lap and gunning it for the highway.</p><p>He doesn't stop until Emma's crying takes on a pained edge. The nearest supermarket is only a few minutes away, and he hopes they can make it that far without the now teething baby having issues. The parking lot is relatively empty, and he stops to feed her and change her into a larger outfit from the bag before heading into the store in search of a car seat and supplies. By the time he leaves the store, his impulsive decision has solidified. He has a camera and a bag full of groceries and kids' stuff and a plan is starting to come together. Emma's already started mimicking words and desperately needs another size up in clothes and diapers.</p><p>He changes her again, takes a photo of her in her new car seat and goes through his mental list of motels in the area.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next 24 hours are a mess. By the time they reach the motel, Dean's already given up keeping up with Emma's growth spurts and put her in one of his own t-shirts and a blanket. The next two hours he spends feeding her again, changing her into a quick succession of outfits and posing her with hastily wrapped presents, birthday cakes and toys. He's more than a little proud of the way he manages to jury rig lighting and furniture to make the scene a little different each time.</p><p>Then he eats and encourages Emma's scarily fast grip of the English language. Hell, he even throws in some Latin just to see how she handles it. After that, he gets out the educational activity books he bought and goes through her shapes and numbers and letters with her. By they time they've finished she seems to be around four and she's already writing him sweet little nonsense notes he carefully tucks away with her favourite baby toys. He only has Sammy to go on, and that kid was a certifiable genius anyway, but he's pretty sure she's ahead of even her physical development. He's not sure whether to be proud or freaked. He only needs to show her something a maximum of three times before she masters it.</p><p>She has a nap in his arms and he breathes in the smell of her.</p><p>Another photoshoot. Another meal. Another home schooling session. And round and round it goes until Dean's ready to pass out from sheer exhaustion. He worries a little about the lack of other kids and family members in the photos. About the lack of parks and holidays and Christmas parties. But it's the best he can do and it's not like his little photo album in the making is ever likely to be put under that much scrutiny. He does wonder if the lack of those things will be a problem for her. With her tribe she'd probably be doing this with other freakily fast growing kids. As it is, the entirety of her formative 'years' are spent with just him for company.</p><p>The first time she goes red eyed and sharp fingernailed, he nearly has a mental breakdown. What is he doing? Why did he think this was a good idea?</p><p>She's probably about twelve developmentally speaking, and he assumes the Amazon genes are kicking in with puberty. Her teenage angst is certainly setting in early, and she wants to leave the motel room. It strikes him again how damn useless his parenting skills, such as they are, have been to her. She's not been outside of this shitty motel room since she was a baby. Of course she wants out.</p><p>But he can't risk it. Tries to distract her with a straight to video movie playing on the crappy TV set.</p><p>Emma doesn't react well. </p><p>Seeing his daughter, and she is now, in more ways than just DNA, going full monster form is painful. He was raised to kill her kind. And she was born to kill his. </p><p>"Emma, cut that crap right now," he orders as if his heart isn't pounding so heard he can hear his blood rush around his head. "You know damn well why we can't go out."</p><p>"I can't do anything!" Emma rages. "I can't go out, I can't have friends, I can't go to school!"</p><p>"You're not missing anything with that last one, I promise," Dean says, trying not to eye her built-in weaponry. </p><p>He fails and her face collapses into devastation. "You're afraid of me," she all but whispers. Then she raises her voice. "I'm a freak!"</p><p>Dean takes her in. Does his utmost not to flinch away from her inhuman eyes and takes a step closer. "You're not a freak."</p><p>"Yes I am! I'm a monster, a..." Emma raises her hands in front of herself and starts to cry. "I'm a..."</p><p>He pulls her into his arms. It's strange how every time he holds her she's changed so much since the last time, but it always feels the same. His baby girl, warm in his arms. And he never thought he'd be a sap about this crap, but he wouldn't trade her for anything, amazon or no. "You're a Winchester." It's not the most touching, reassuring thing he could have said, but it's true. And to him it's all that matters anymore.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Emma's about fifteen or sixteen at a guess, and they're waiting it out to see if she's reached maturity. If she doesn't have another growth spurt in the next hour, he's promised they'll go out for ice cream. </p><p>The sudden pounding at the door throws those plans straight out of the window. Dean has a gun in his hand and his daughter behind him before the third knock.</p><p>"Dean!"</p><p>His shoulders drop in relief. "Sammy."</p><p>Emma's wide eyed and terrified as he opens the door, even knowing by the name who's waiting behind it. "Dad?"</p><p>"It's alright," Dean promises. He hopes it is. Sam... Sam's always been the one with a soft spot for friendly monsters, right? He'll be fine with this. He's got to be.</p><p>"What the hell?" Sam says as soon as their eyes meet. </p><p>"Sam-"</p><p>"You took off without even telling me!" Sam snaps. "I thought you'd been killed, Dean. Why didn't you-"</p><p>Sam cuts off as he catches sight of Emma. Takes in the piles of kids clothes and toys and books scattered around the room.</p><p>Emma must look like a kidnap victim. Which Dean supposes she kind of is. She's wearing one of Dean's shirts and a pair of jogging pants Dean used his limited sewing skills on so that they'd stay up. He doesn't know how they'd have handled things after she hit five if Dean hadn't kept spare clothes in the car. He'd skipped town without getting his stuff from the motel room he and Sam had been staying at. Her hair has grown without interference and looks like it's never seen a hairbrush (it hasn't). She has no shoes and her terrified face looks white and gaunt in the dim lighting from the motel's ancient ceiling light and the sunlight leaking in around the drawn curtains.</p><p>"Is she-"</p><p>"My kid," Dean interrupts, Emma's breakdown still too recent a memory for him to allow talk of her origin in front of her. "Sammy, this is Emma. Emma, Uncle Sammy."</p><p>Emma raises a hand in an awkward wave. Dean's absurdly proud that she's stayed in control enough that she looks completely human. </p><p>"Dean," Sam starts. Dean knows exactly what he's going to say.</p><p>"I don't wanna hear it," Dean tells him. For better or worse, he made this decision and he's sticking with it. Emma is his. He glances over his shoulder at her. She's the same as she was thirty minutes ago. "We need to get Emma some clothes. It'll be easier now you're here."</p><p>"And ice cream?" Emma asks quietly.</p><p>Dean's mouth cracks into a smile in spite of the situation. "And ice cream."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sam stays silent while they make the drive to the store. Goes in and gets Emma shoes and a basic outfit without complaint. Once she's changed they head into the store together so she can pick her own things now she doesn't look neglected enough to get them arrested on the spot. Then Sam pulls Dean aside.</p><p>Dean checks Emma, who's pulling a face at a shirt with sparkly lettering across it. "What?"</p><p>"You know what," Sam replies. </p><p>"Sam, she's mine. I know she's..."</p><p>"Not human," Sam finishes for him.</p><p>Dean glares at him. "She's my blood. I raised her. Me."</p><p>"They're going to come after her," Sam points out. "When I left, they were already looking for you."</p><p>"Yeah, well." Dean doesn't bother to argue that. "There's always someone chasin' us."</p><p>"You got lucky. You know that?" Sam tells him. "Lydia wasn't supposed to be there alone with her. She must have given birth early or something. If you'd tried this with the other amazons there-"</p><p>"Well, they weren't," Dean says. "And it doesn't matter anyway."</p><p>"People are still dying and you just left," Sam points out. </p><p>"People are always dying."</p><p>"Dad?" Emma calls, breaking into whatever Sam was going to say next.</p><p>Dean scrubs a hand over his face. "Yeah?"</p><p>"Can I get this?" Emma holds up a shoulder bag with the Wonder Woman logo on it and Dean laughs.</p><p>"Go for it," he tells her.</p><p>"She's not your daughter, Dean," Sam says quietly.</p><p>Dean meets his eye with all the conviction he feels in every fibre of his being. "Yes she is."</p><p>They don't bother going back to the motel. Sam's right, the amazons will be trying to find them, and if Sam managed it then they probably won't be far behind. Dean picks a state to aim for at random and doesn't stop driving until the road starts swimming in front of his eyes.</p><p>"You good to get us to the next town over, or am I gonna wake up to find you with a gun against my kid's head?" Dean asks Sam roughly, eyes skipping to the girl sleeping in the backseat.</p><p>Sam sighs but switches out without another word. </p><p>When Dean wakes from his doze, Sam's made it through two hours of driving and they're outside yet another shitty motel. Dean hates himself a little as he wakes Emma to take her into their twin room. Sam gets his own room.</p><p>Emma goes to change into her brand new pyjamas and brush her teeth and Dean considers what the hell they're supposed to do next. Things haven't stopped with Emma's arrival. They still have Leviathan and Sam's messed up head to deal with, and now they have a teenager along with them. It feels like it's been a lot longer than two days. </p><p>Dean's had a grand total of six hours sleep and his two hour car nap while raising his monster kid over the last two days, unable to sleep too long at a time while she needed watching and feeding and teaching, and it's caught up with him. He's wobbling on his feet and his head feels like cotton. Memories of Cas wading into that lake merge with visions of Emma, dead alongside her mother and he doesn't have the energy to push them away. There's a bottle of booze in his duffel and he wants it like he wants his next breath.</p><p>The bathroom door opens. Emma looks younger again in her pyjamas. Vulnerable and sleepy as she tucks herself in and smiles at him. "G'night, Dad."</p><p>"'Night sweetheart," Dean says and goes to brush his own teeth. When he's done, he pauses to stroke her hair before climbing into his own bed. The bottle of booze stays in his bag.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Breakfast at the diner the next morning is tense. Sam hasn't spoken a word to Dean since their trip to the store and Dean is in no mood to argue with him. He's still exhausted, he feels like he hasn't eaten in days, and there's a creepy as hell older guy in a booth opposite who keeps eyeing Emma in a way that makes Dean want to knock his teeth in.</p><p>Emma's oblivious. It's her first time eating out and she's enraptured with everything from the faintly sticky menus to their ashtray scented waitress. She's ordered more food than Dean, and Dean's pretty sure she'll eat it all.</p><p>When Emma stares longingly at the display with the pies in it as they settle up, the waitress gives Dean a wink and leans into Emma conspiratorially. "Why don't you ask your dads if you can take some for the road. I'll even give 'em a discount."</p><p>"Oh, she's not-" Sam starts.</p><p>"He's my uncle," Emma says distractedly. She's already choosing what pie to get, even though Dean hasn't actually agreed to buy any yet.</p><p>Sam's face does something funny.</p><p>"We'll take two cherry and two apple," Dean says.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sam's got another hunt lined up and Dean doesn't argue when he plots out their journey to it. When they stop for lunch, Emma tentatively takes the seat next to Sam and peers over his shoulder at the laptop screen. She knows about hunting, it's not something Dean could really keep from her as much as he'd like to, and she scans the webpage eagerly.</p><p>"Um," Sam says, clearly trying his best not to lean away from her.</p><p>Something in Dean's chest twinges painfully and he decides to smother it with burger.</p><p>"What do you think it is?" Emma asks.</p><p>Sam explains the case, somewhat haltingly, to his captive audience.</p><p>When that conversation dries up, and Emma's dessert arrives (Dean has no idea where she's putting it all now she's not having growth spurts), Emma pulls her Wonder Woman notepad out of her Wonder Woman bag and opens it up to show Sam. "Dad said you're better at Latin than he is. Do you think you could help me with my conjugation? I keep getting stuck."</p><p>"Oh. Um," Sam stutters, looking more unsettled than when he was talking about clowns ten minutes ago. "I, uh, I guess."</p><p>An hour later, Dean's nursing his third coffee and trying not let a goofy smile take over his face as Sam enthusiastically explains complex Latin grammar rules to an equally enthusiastic Emma. "Wish you'd been there for the home schooling," Dean says when they finally finish. "Kid coulda been doing quantum physics by now."</p><p>Sam seems to recollect himself and his face folds into a frown.</p><p>Emma pulls a face, not noticing the change in mood. "That would mean math."</p><p>"You're good at math," Dean argues.</p><p>"Math is boring," Emma says. </p><p>Dean shrugs. "No arguments there. Thought you brain boxes were supposed to like it, though."</p><p>Emma turns back to Sam. "Hey, do you think I could use your computer later?"</p><p>Sam's hands twitch with the barely concealed urge to protect his precious laptop. "What for?"</p><p>Emma shrugs, much like Dean had a moment before. "Something to do rather than watching hospital dramas with my dad."</p><p>Sam laughs and then looks surprised at himself. </p><p>Dean splutters. "We watched two episodes. Two. There was nothing else on."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After that, Sam gets that funny look on his face more often. When Emma asks him about college. When she tells him she doesn't like clowns either. Most of all when she calls him Uncle Sam.</p><p>Every time, Dean watches as his baby brother tenses, inhales, looks away. He can't tell whether it's a good sign or a bad one.</p><p>The hunt goes as well as can be expected. So does the next one, and the one after that. And if Dean's distracted from Sammy's failing mental health while he works on cases, keeps his overly curious daughter out of danger and stays on the lookout for angry amazons and niece murdering brothers, then he thinks he can be excused. Or that's what he tells himself. </p><p>Sam's in bad shape. Really bad shape. </p><p>Emma can't get near him without him lashing out, and Dean can't get more than one sentence of sense out of him. Sam ends up in the loony bin, and Dean doesn't know what they do now. How to save his brother. How to keep what's left of his family together.</p><p>He calls everyone he can think of. Someone has to know something that could help. There has to be something.</p><p>And they find Cas.</p><p>'Emmanuel' as he's calling himself, smiles at Emma sweetly enough that Dean knows he can't see what she is. Or doesn't know what it is he's seeing. There's no way he's faking.</p><p>Displaying all of the tact of a Winchester, Emma spends the trip to the mental hospital asking personal questions. She knows from Dean who Cas is, but she seems more hung up on his new fake life.</p><p>"So, she just found an amnesiac by the lake and married him?" Emma asks. "Like, just marries this total stranger within a couple of months?"</p><p>"I..." Emmanuel starts, but seems too stunned by the inquisition to finish his sentence.</p><p>"What about the police? Did she take you to the hospital, or get the police to look into who you are?" Emma continues. "Or did she just go 'hey, clearly the rational thing to do here is take him straight home and bang him'?"</p><p>"Emma." Dean says firmly.</p><p>His darling daughter ignores him. "I mean, what if you have family out there? What if you're already married?"</p><p>Emmanuel doesn't even attempt to answer her now. He's looking more and more horrified with every word from her mouth.</p><p>"How do you know she didn't kidnap you and hit you over the head and now she's playing happy families while your real family is out there looking for you?" Emma rambles on. "Head injuries can cause amnesia. So can all kinds of drugs and stuff. She could've done it on purpose, even."</p><p>"Emma!" Dean snaps.</p><p>"What?" She says indignantly. </p><p>"You know that's not what happened," Dean says. "<em>Emmanuel </em>is happy with his wife. Drop it."</p><p>"We really don't, though," Emma argues. "All any of us know is she found him by the lake with no memory. And that she didn't call the police or try to help him figure out who he was."</p><p>That's... Well, that's kind of true. Jimmy should have a missing person's report out on him still. If Daphne had actually tried to find out who Cas was, they'd probably have been going to visit the Novaks again. Still. Cas had seemed... Happy. </p><p>"Is the marriage even legal? I mean, how did she get you an identity and stuff without going to the police?" Emma asks.</p><p>Dean takes a breath and reminds himself it's a little too late to decide to murder his kid.</p><p>"Do you really think she's taking advantage of me?" Emmanuel asks hesitantly. "She's been so kind... I..."</p><p>Emma finally starts to show a little empathy. "I don't know. But I'd maybe try and figure it out before you go home."</p><p>They pull up outside the hospital and Dean gets a very bad feeling about it. "Emma, wait in the car."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dean teaches Emma to drive. Not in the Impala. Not yet. The kid's a fast learner, even if it's more smart kid fast than supernaturally fast these days, but even so, some things just aren't worth the risk. Instead they borrow a car. Without permission, but they're totally bringing it back.</p><p>It keeps Cas out of his head for a few hours. For the time that he's showing Emma how to use a stick shift, Dean doesn't think about Cas's face when he got his memories back or how he looked when they left, unconscious and battling with the devil from Sam's head. Instead he laughs, even if it hurts a little, and teases her when she kangaroos the car. She gets the hang of it, her innate confidence in her own abilities gliding her through the early nerves of being in control of a car for the first time. Before the day is over, they're cruising along at 50 and her gear changes are as smooth as Sam's. Dean decides she inherited it from him rather than her amazon side.</p><p>Emma likes driving. She's a lot like Dean, and he doesn't know how much of that is nature and how much is nurture. Aside from a lack of respect for Metallica (and don't think Dean didn't come close to disowning her over that) and Doctor Sexy, they have similar tastes in TV and music. She loves pie, though she can take or leave cheeseburgers. And she likes driving.</p><p>Dean plans on showing her how to change a tire and the oil next.</p><p>"Do you think Uncle Sam will be up to helping me with my Latin again?" Emma asks as they return the car. Dean shoves a few bills from his wallet behind the mirror as an apology for whatever wear Emma's caused to the car.</p><p>"I dunno, kid," Dean says. Sam's better but he's not all the way there yet, and he still looks at Emma like all he can see is her red eyes. Which, for the record, Sam hasn't actually seen in reality. Emma's awesome at controlling it and she knows better than to remind Sam of what she is. </p><p>His phone chimes and Dean checks it as they climb back into the Impala. Charlie, the chick they met at Dick's offices has sent a message to confirm she's sent hardcopy forgeries of Emma's birth certificate and other documents to the address they agreed on. They've only known her a few days and she's already proven a useful contact, even beyond the hard drive. Now that the papers are sorted out, Dean has a decision to make. And it's one he's none too keen on making.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Emma asks.</p><p>"Nothin'." Dean shoots her a smile and puts the car in gear.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Emma," Dean says, trying to calm her down. "Emma, listen to me-"</p><p>"No!" Emma yells. Her eyes are still human, but her usually watertight control seems to be slipping at the edges. "You don't get to just leave me behind!"</p><p>"It's not forever," Dean tries. "And Jody's good people. You'll like hanging out with her. We need to do this, and I can't be worrying about you while we do."</p><p>Emma fumes. "No. I'm coming with you. I can be useful," she says. "I'm strong. Stronger than you are. I can fight, you know I can."</p><p>"No," Dean says with as much finality as he can muster. "I'm not puttin' you in harms way. You stay with Jody and you go to school, just like you kept naggin' me about, and you stay out of trouble. We'll be back when it's done."</p><p>Emma opens her mouth to keep arguing.</p><p>"Kiddo, I promise you, I ain't leavin' you behind, okay?" Dean tells her. "I don't like this any more'n you do."</p><p>She folds her arms and looks away.</p><p>Dean sighs and wraps her in a hug, even though she stays stiff and uncooperative while he does. He presses a kiss to her hair. "We'll be back soon."</p><p>"You better," Emma says, arms finally unfolding and hugging him back just as he moves to go. When he does disentangle, Emma pushes past him to the door. "I'm still mad at you."</p><p>Dean smiles. "Understood."</p><p>Emma nods and stalks from the room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Heritage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Living with Sheriff Mills isn't too terrible. She's cool, if a bit stricter than Dad ever was. She doesn't try to get Emma to call her 'mom' and she swears a lot more than even Dad did. She insists homework gets done before any extracurricular reading Emma wants to do, and Emma's curfew is strictly enforced.</p><p>It's already been longer, this thing with Jody, than Emma was alive before. She was only with Dad for a couple of months tops, and she's been with Jody at least that already. It doesn't feel that way.</p><p>Jody doesn't say Dad's dead. Doesn't say he's not coming back. That's good, because Emma might have to do something a regular girl couldn't and wouldn't do if she were to suggest that. Dad promised he'd be back, and he will be. Even if Emma has to drag him back herself. Even if she doesn't know where he is. She'll find out, and she'll get him back, and she'll leave this shitty town and it's shitty school with its shitty kids.</p><p>Dad was right about school. She wasn't missing anything.</p><p>The documents Dad had made for her put her at fifteen when he left. He said it'd be easier for her to blend in at High School if she got to start from the first year, and really, they couldn't be sure how old she was physically anyway. He needn't have bothered. She fits in about as well as she would if she went around in monster mode, and about the only class she doesn't hate the existence of is Latin, purely because it helps her with her research. She's almost as fluent as her teacher by now. Probably more in some ways, given her non-school assigned reading.</p><p>She gives him the deadline of her birthday, March 2nd, before she's out of here. If he's not back for then, she'll leave and start looking properly. Sheriff Mills or no Sheriff Mills.</p><p> </p><p>Her mother's side of the family catches up with her at school.</p><p>One of the weirder parts of being an Amazon is the clarity of her memories from pretty much the moment of birth. She doesn't know these women, doesn't know their faces or voices, but she does know who they are. She remembers her mother telling her about them. She never told Dad she remembers him stabbing her mom to death. He'd only get that dumb sad look on his face that he always got when he was thinking about what a terrible parent he was, and knowing what she'd have been raised to do if he hadn't, Emma can't find it in her to blame him. He took her away from that and he raised her like any other kid. Or as close to as was possible.</p><p>Her mom would've turned her over to be raised with all the others, to do nothing with her life but mate and kill. For an all female society, they seemed pretty hung up on reproduction being the end goal for their daughters.</p><p>They meet her by the school gates, and while they don't use force, they make it abundantly clear that saying no to going with them isn't an option.</p><p>"Your mother was a strong warrior," one of them tells her. She's introduced herself as Erin. Apparently she's in charge of graduated initiates. And apparently, as Dad's presumed dead, they're willing to say she's most of the way to initiated. She'll still have to join in on the mankilling, but for now they're more interested in training her. "You will be too."</p><p>Emma nods. She thinks about Jody coming home after her shift to find her gone. Then she thinks of the kinds of things she'll need to know how to do to get her Dad back. "Teach me."</p><p> </p><p>It's hard and it's painful, and there's not a day goes by that Emma doesn't wonder why the hell she's doing this to herself. She could escape, she's sure of it. They'd find her again, and as badass as Jody is, Emma doubts she'd be able to fend off a whole tribe of Amazons. But then Emma grew up with Dad, even if the growing up was kind of condensed, and she knows how to live on the road. She could run and she could keep running.</p><p>Jody had been teaching her self defense so she's not starting completely from scratch, but Jody had never known Emma's true capabilities. She doesn't know Emma isn't human, though Emma's sure she suspects. Dad told her never to tell anyone what she is, and she never has. So here, now, training with other girls like her, as strong as her, Emma struggles to keep up. These girls were raised doing this, not eating birthday cake and watching Star Trek reruns.</p><p>"Again," Erin orders, and Rachel, the girl Emma's sparring with, sweeps her and jabs her hard in the solar plexus. </p><p>Emma coughs and sputters, but drags herself into a better position, pulling Rachel down and rolling her. She can't hold her. Rachel is better trained, more brutal, probably a little stronger even. Emma's going to be covered in bruises by the end of this session, and there'll be another one straight after lunch. The schedule of classes makes her long for a math class or a poetry assignment. But it's efficient.</p><p>Emma protects her head from a vicious blow, and gets Rachel in a low triangle hold that Jody taught her. It's enough to get Rachel momentarily off guard, and Emma's head sings in victory right up until Rachel manages to smash it into the floor.</p><p>Rachel is fierce and proud. She doesn't want to live her life popping out kids any more than Emma does, but she's a true initiate. She's killed before and she's more than happy to do it again. She also loves Taylor Swift and spray cheese, as Emma finds out when Rachel smuggles the latter into the dorms and offers Emma some.</p><p>"I heard them say you were kidnapped as a baby," Rachel says bluntly. </p><p>Emma nods. "My d- my father. He was a hunter, he knew when he saw me that he was my father. I guess he thought if he raised me himself I wouldn't come after him."</p><p>Rachel scoffs. "He wanted you to be some kind of hunter's pet. A hunting dog to send out after bloodsuckers and corpse eaters."</p><p>Emma shrugs and doesn't argue, even as the times she tried to help with hunts and her dad kept her away from them run through her head. Dad would've deliberately crashed the Impala before sending her after vampires. Emma wonders distantly if Uncle Sam even kept the car. "He's gone now."</p><p>"Did you do it?" Rachel asks.</p><p>If she knows Emma was kidnapped as a baby, Emma has no doubt Rachel knows she didn't kill her dad. "No. He disappeared on a hunt. They think he got himself killed."</p><p>Rachel nods, satisfied with her answer. "You know they'll find you someone else to complete your initiation, right?"</p><p>"I know." </p><p>"You won't wimp out, will you? You know what happens to runaways," Rachel says.</p><p>Emma laughs. "Yeah. I know."</p><p>Rachel holds out the spray cheese. "You'll do fine. You've got a hell of a hook kick."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Amazons have their own language. A kind of bastardised version of Greek. It's familiar enough that Emma picks it up relatively quickly being immersed in it, and she wonders if between this and the Latin, modern Greek and Italian will be easy to learn. Her lessons, if you can really call them that, are more than half sparring sessions, but there's history thrown in as well, that of her people and where they came from. Greek mythology with the twist of coming from a people who lived through the real events. Some weapons theory. A fair bit of learning symbols and rituals, and a few lessons a week on raising young Amazons. Apparently they won't raise their own daughters, but becoming a 'teacher' is a good thing to aim for. </p><p>Rachel's aiming to take Erin's job when she's old enough. She says it usually doesn't happen until an Amazon's had at least two kids herself, but Rachel's hoping to get away with one if she can prove she's more useful training initiates.</p><p>"I don't get the kids thing," Emma admits. "We lose girls as fast as we have them, it seems like."</p><p>Rachel shrugs. "We gotta keep the numbers up somehow. Hunters won't stop coming after us just because we learn how to use a diaphram."</p><p>"I guess," Emma says skeptically. "Why do we do the whole... you know, killing thing, though? If we're trying to rebuild and grow our numbers, it seems dumb. Like hanging up a big sign, 'monsters here, come hunt us'."</p><p>That earns her a sigh and rolled eyes. "The pact. Don't you pay attention to anything but sparring class? We get our strength from the pact. We honour it by making sacrifices. If we stop doing that we may as well let our people die out. We wouldn't be us anymore."</p><p>"Why can't we change, though? Do something different to honour the pact? I haven't killed anyone yet and I'm still strong," Emma points out. "If Harmonia really cared how we honour her, surely she'd come back and show us how to do it without getting ourselves killed."</p><p>"The weak get killed," Rachel says, passing Emma a kitkat. "It wouldn't mean anything if it was easy. Besides," she grins. "It's fun."</p><p> </p><p>By the time Emma can beat Rachel in a fight March is on the horizon, and Emma has read every resource the Amazons have that could possibly help her. She stuffs a few of the miraculously well preserved tomes she left unread in her bag anyway. There's probably nothing in them, she's read anything that looked even a little relevant, but she's reluctant to let go of her heritage completely. Monstrous though it is.</p><p>The fire blazes up quicker than even Emma was expecting. Even Amazonian strength isn't going to get them out of that building, and with a little luck, it'll be assumed that she was in the building too.</p><p>If she took a picture of Rachel with her when she left, then no one will ever know who it's of. And if it's a little water damaged in the corner, no one's there to know where the drops of liquid came from. She still aches from sparring and from the torture her 'teachers' included as part of their lesson plans, and she's exhausted from watching the fire burn down to embers. She couldn't leave until she knew it was done. It had to be done, it was only a matter of time before everyone in that building, including Emma, went out to kill innocent men and give birth to a new generation of girls who would be tortured and brainwashed until their DNA was the most human thing about them. But they still deserved a proper funeral. A proper vigil.</p><p>Emma speaks out loud the Amazonian rites she memorised when she first resolved to do this, and she creeps around the emergency services personnel to scoop a handful of ashes into a box. She'll carry this with her always, and it's only right there's something physical to carry too.</p><p>While Dad taught her to strong, Jody taught her to be pragmatic, and Emma has enough money taken from Erin's safe to go wherever she wants to go. There'll be more if she can get away with emptying the school's accounts before the other Amazons get there. She doesn't have the skills for that herself, but she has a near photographic memory, and she knows the number Charlie Day gave to Dad, and she knows Charlie will feel bad enough about what happened to Dad that she'll help Emma. She might even have some new information Emma can use.</p><p>She hitches lifts all the way back to Sioux Falls before she bothers buying a phone and a car. Both cheap and barely serviceable. Both disposable. A call to Charlie and she has a date to meet up and go over Charlie's research. With that she heads for Jody's. </p><p>Jody hugs her before the door is even all the way open. "Kiddo, you scared me half to death. Where the hell have you been?!"</p><p>Emma goes to answer her but Jody cuts her off.</p><p>"Actually I don't give a shit. You're grounded. And you're homeschooled. Your dad didn't leave you with me so you could go off on your own and disappear for months," Jody rants, pulling Emma inside. "Sit your ass down. I'm getting a coffee and then you're telling me every damn thing you've done for the last seven months."</p><p>Wow. Seven months. Emma hadn't really thought about that. Another stretch of time that seems surreal in proportion to the rest of her life. She's officially spent more time with the Amazons than with Dad and Jody put together. She's not even a full year old yet.</p><p>While Jody bustles about the kitchen, cursing and sighing by turns as she makes coffee and fixes sandwiches how she knows Emma likes them, Emma runs her fingers over the mark on her wrist. It's scarred well, the brand clear. She bought wristbands similar to the ones Dad used to wear when she bought her phone, but she hasn't brought herself to put one on just yet.</p><p>Jody shoves a plate onto the table in front of Emma and sits down accross from her with an expectant expression.</p><p>Emma takes a breath. "I'm not human."</p><p>Jody stills.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure you guessed as much," Emma continues. "But I don't know if you know what I am."</p><p>There's a pause where they both watch the steam from Jody's coffee, before Jody speaks. "Your dad never told me. I figured whatever you are, it can't be that bad if he'd leave you with me."</p><p>Emma swallows. "If I show you, do you promise not to freak out?"</p><p>That gets her a smile. "Kiddo, I promise I've seen worse, whatever it is."</p><p>So Emma lets her true self show to a human for the first time since Dad was ali- Around.</p><p>Jody doesn't flinch. "I betcha just beat the boys off with a stick, dontcha?"</p><p>Emma smiles and lets her eyes go back to hazel. "Better than my family. They disembowel the boys."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Was that-"</p><p>"I was with them, yeah. I didn't kill anyone, though," Emma says, then amends. "Anyone human."</p><p>"Will they come after you?" Jody asks after a moment.</p><p>Emma shrugs. "They shouldn't do. With any luck they think hunters got me with the others."</p><p>"And did hunters..." Jody starts to ask before trailing off.</p><p>"You could say that," Emma says. She comes from a family of hunters after all. And for some reason she doesn't want to tell Jody about murdering two dozen Amazons in their sleep. Sometimes she thinks she can still smell the smoke in her hair.</p><p>Jody's lips thin like she knows Emma isn't telling her the whole truth, but she doesn't press the issue. </p><p>Emma tucks into her sandwich. </p><p>"I looked for you, you know," Jody says a little sadly.</p><p>Emma smiles at her and swallows her food. "I know you did."</p><p>"Good."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She leaves a note. She doesn't want Jody thinking something happened to her again, but she knows Jody would stop her if she tried to say goodbye in person.</p><p>Charlie doesn't have any contact with Jody. Probably doesn't know she exists, so Emma feels relatively safe meeting with her. She's also just as fun as Dad described, and just as dorky. </p><p>When Charlie tells her about Purgatory, and her theory that that's where Dad and Cas ended up, Emma's ready to go out and track down some monsters to question. She's barely stood up before Charlie's hand on her arm tugs her back down. "Woah, slow down, Buffy," Charlie says. "I'm pretty sure if they knew how to get out of Purgatory monsters wouldn't be so reluctant to die."</p><p>It's a good point. "Crowley," Emma remembers. "Dad said something about Crowely and Cas opening purgatory. I bet he knows something."</p><p>"You want to track down the King of Hell on your own?" Charlie asks skeptically. "I think we should call your Uncle Sam."</p><p>Emma shakes her head. "He doesn't want anything to do with me. He's made that pretty clear."</p><p>Charlie just looks sad about that. Emma doesn't know how to tell her the reasons.</p><p>"I can take care of myself. I'll be fine," Emma reassures her.</p><p>Charlie fiddles with her Harry Potter keyring. "No. You're not doing this alone. I'll help you."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They summon Crowley on March 3rd. Emma finds the timing kinda funny.</p><p>The King of Hell eyes her curiously at first. He doesn't know who she is. Emma wasn't expecting that.</p><p>One thing Emma learned from the Amazons is that torture is for training. For compliance and breaking a person. It doesn't get reliable answers when employed as an interrogation method, especially not on someone you haven't conditioned yourself. Bribery and bargaining work better. So she starts there.</p><p>"No..." Crowley says after fifteen minutes of negotiation, narrowing his eyes as he looks her over. It doesn't sound like a rejection of terms, though. "Hang on. You're not... You're not a <em>Winchester </em>are you? I thought they were a dying breed."</p><p>Emma grits her teeth. "Does it matter?"</p><p>"Well," Crowley says. "Historically, making deals with Winchesters doesn't always go so well for me."</p><p>"Look-" Charlie starts.</p><p>"Price has just gone up," Crowley cuts her off. "I want the prophet. You give me him, nicely gift wrapped and delivered, and I'll show you how to get to Purgatory."</p><p>To say Emma doesn't consider it, just for a moment, would be a lie.</p><p>"No deal," Charlie blurts and reverses the summons. Emma hadn't even known that was a thing. Dad and Uncle Sam had only ever mentioned summoning and exorcism.</p><p>Emma stares at the empty summoning circle and clenches her fists. They were so close.</p><p>Charlie sighs and knocks her shoulder into Emma's. "Sorry, Buff. We'll find another way."</p><p>"Why do you keep calling me that?" Emma asks absently.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"My name's Emma, not Buffy."</p><p>Charlie's eyes go wide. "You mean you haven't seen... Oh hell no."</p><p>That evening they do their research over pizza and Charlie's boxset of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's actually kinda nice.</p><p> </p><p>Charlie finds some references to a group known as the 'Men of Letters', which they both agree is eye rollingly patriarchal, and some clues about a chapter house in New Orleans. Apparently these guys were supernatural scholars with chapters all over the country, until they suddenly went quiet in the late '50s. Honestly, Emma's about 99% sure it's going to be a waste of time, but Charlie seems to think it's worth looking at, and unless they want to track down Kevin Tran and turn him over to a demon, they've got no other leads.</p><p>If Charlie's bothered by Emma driving them accross state lines despite being legally fifteen, then she doesn't say anything about it. She spends the trip narrowing down their search to a small town that was hit hard by Katrina. It's doing a little better now, and Charlie finds them a motel called 'The Hoodoo' with what Emma's sure are culturally insensitively themed bedrooms and a breakfast menu for the attached diner. Tacky theme aside, it's a decent place. Clean. Well maintained. The food's good, too.</p><p>Charlie nurses her 'black magic' java and alligator shaped pancakes as though she's the one who was up driving half the night previous.</p><p>"So, where do we start?" Emma asks. They made a loose plan on the way over, marking off the library and the town hall on the map and talking about where they'd hide a secret headquarters if they were white men in the early 20th century, but they hadn't really decided where to look first.</p><p>Charlie chews tiredly, a little wall eyed even as she turns to focus on Emma. "I figured I'll head to the town hall, see if there's any blueprints from the era that don't quite add up. Chat up a secretary or two to see if there are any local rumours. You could take the library?"</p><p>Emma scrunches her nose at the thought of spending her time in a library that probably doesn't have proper air conditioning. She's seen pictures of the building and she wouldn't actually be shocked if they didn't have working electricity. </p><p>Charlie quirks an exhausted grin. "Or you could try poking around the places we talked about. See if anything seems odd, or secret headquartersy."</p><p>"Sounds good." Emma goes back to picking her way through half the breakfast menu.</p><p>By the time she's on the third location, Emma sincerely wishes she'd opted for the library. Bad air conditioning is still air conditioning after all, and her ass crack is turning into New Orleans' latest swamp. God, it's not even that hot for New Orleans, but she's used to colder climes and this is an above average day for the time of year. She's wiping her damp, gross hair back from her sticky, gross skin and poking at the ground somewhat dubiously with her foot when her neck prickles. She looks around to find a little old man staring at her. She faces him. "Hi."</p><p>He smiles and gives her a little wave.</p><p>The staring thing is a little creepy, but she figures this guy might have been around in the '50s so it's worth a shot asking. "Do you know about any private libraries around here? Or maybe archives? A bunker maybe?" The descriptions in Charlie's sources varied and Emma doesn't know which is more likely to get her results.</p><p>"Archives?" The man repeats. He looks around the area. Emma guesses there were houses not too long ago, but either they haven't got around to rebuilding or they haven't bothered. "I don't know about any of that, but you're standing on top of that bomb shelter."</p><p>Emma looks down at the ground beneath her feet. "People built bomb shelters around here?"</p><p>He shrugs. "Not really. But after 'trina they found one. Couldn't open it, and it wasn't safe enough to be worth forcing it, but it's around here somewhere."</p><p>Emma looks around again. Okay. That's something. "Thanks."</p><p>The man waves off her gratitude as his dog comes sprinting back to him, accounting for his somewhat suspicious presence on the empty land. He leashes the dog and sets off at a slow and steady pace.</p><p>Emma digs out her cell and shoots off a quick text to Charlie. </p><p>She barely has time to inspect a few likely looking shrubs before her cell rings. She answers while poking at a large rock. "Yeah?"</p><p>"The people at the town hall told me the same thing. Apparently the ground isn't too safe over there, so be careful. I'll be there soon," Charlie says. "I'm like, five minutes away."</p><p>Charlie's true to her word, and between them it doesn't take long to find the entrance to the 'bomb shelter'. Just as the old man had said, the door doesn't open when Charlie tries it, or even when they try it together. Charlie lets go of the handle and slumps down against the suspiciously uncorroded metal.</p><p>Emma kicks at the door in frustration and willfully ignores Charlie's instruction to 'chill out'. She didn't come all this way to be stopped by a door that doesn't even have a lock. She takes a breath, wrapping her hand around the door handle as Charlie scrambles out of her way. </p><p>"Emma, it won't-"</p><p>Emma gives a hard shove and goes flying through the suddenly easily opened door.</p><p>"-open." Charlie looks wide eyed through the doorway. "Huh."</p><p>Not in the mood to question the freaky door, Emma moves further in. It's definitely not a bomb shelter. Or, at least, not just a bomb shelter. The bunker, archive and private library descriptions all seem to suit better, though it's not a particularly big version of any of the above. The low corridor opens out onto a main room filled with books and filing cabinets, with two doors leading off to a small bathroom and a studio set up with two sets of bunk beds. It's not much of a chapter house, but it looks like it served its purpose as an archive and bolt hole until whatever it was happened to its occupants.</p><p>"Shut the door," Emma tells Charlie. "We don't want anyone stumbling in here after us."</p><p>Charlie hesitates. "What if it jams again?"</p><p>"Then we'll open it again," Emma replies, not looking away from the bookshelves. It's unclear how, but the air is dry and cool and there's clearly electricity powering the overhead lights. </p><p>They set up shop and spend the next three days going through the archives and trying varying qualities of food from the restaurants around town.</p><p>On the fourth day they find the book about reapers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. No Patricide Here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been months. He couldn't say exactly how many, but Dean's pretty sure it's been at least six. Maybe seven or eight. Possibly more.</p><p>Part of him expected Sammy to get them out of here before now, but he spent forty years in hell, so it's not like he's relying on it. Instead he's trusting a vampire and his seemingly sane-again best friend as they fight their way through the monster afterlife. Benny seems pretty sure they'll find a way out, while Cas is stone silent on the matter. </p><p>He hasn't told either of them about Emma. </p><p>Which is what makes it very awkward when she comes running at them through the trees shouting 'Dad' at the top of her lungs.</p><p>Dean waves them down as they ready themselves to fight her off, and catches her as she flings herself at him. "Emma?" He asks more than a little disbelievingly.</p><p>She doesn't get a chance to confirm her identity or explain what the hell she's doing here before the ruckus attracts some of Purgatory's natural residents. Dean tries to put Emma behind him, between the three of them where they can protect her, but she ducks out from under his arm and joins the fight with enough fluid competence that Dean finds himself thinking dark thoughts about Jody Mills. His kid couldn't fight like that when he left, and no one learns to fight like that without fighting for their lives at least a few times. Rough and opportunistic and holding nothing back for reserves.</p><p>Emma headbutts a vampire and Dean is suprised to feel appalled rather than proud.</p><p>"Who's this?" Benny asks when the field is clear. He sounds far too casual for the suspicion written across his face.</p><p>"Um," Dean says eloquently. He turns to his now blood-specked daughter. "My kid. Emma."</p><p>Benny raises his eyebrows.</p><p>"She's not human," Cas says, though Dean's pretty sure everyone here already knows that.</p><p>"Amazon," Emma clarifies. "Good Amazon, though. No patricide here."</p><p>"How did you... What are you..." Dean can't decide on a question. "You're not..." She can't be dead. Please, god, don't let her be dead.</p><p>"Charlie and I found a way to get here." She meets his eye. "And to get back again."</p><p>"What?" Dean says.</p><p>"Follow me." And with that she starts walking back the way she came.</p><p>They're attacked a few more times along the way. Cas's angelic presence and their now even larger party attracting plenty of attention. Emma fights with them each time. Dean doesn't want to know just as much as he needs to know how she learned to fight like that.</p><p>There's a clearing up ahead, and a guy in a familiar dark suit waiting nervously next to it.</p><p>"Reaper," Cas grumbles warily.</p><p>"He brought me here," Emma says. "And he'll take us back."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Being topside again is no less strange than the first time he came back from an extended period of being dead. Even weirder is watching Emma and Cas dance around each other, both equally cautious and curious. Benny thinks it's hilarious, as he lets be known loudly and happily once returned to his body. </p><p>He's just about ready to ask Emma if she has a cell phone so he can call Sam. He's more than a little surprised that it's Emma that found him and that Sam isn't there, but the only way to get his questions answered is by the man himself, and besides which Dean's missed his brother. He waits until Emma finishes updating Charlie, who opted to stay back in New Orleans to go through the Men of Letters archive Emma says had the information on reapers in it. Dean honestly wonders why none of that ever came up when Cas and Crowley were trying to get into Purgatory at the start of it all, but he's not complaining at the results. He does kind of wish Charlie had come with them to find Benny's bones, but it's a selfish fantasy and he's used to reunions being brief by now.</p><p>At least he knows he gets to keep Sam when they find him.</p><p>Emma hands over the phone without argument, but avoids his eye. </p><p>He walks away a little to make his call, watching with an amused grin as Emma pesters Cas with questions. The angel sure does seem to bring the annoying brat in her to the fore, and he seems no less confused and bewildered by it than he did as Emmanuel.</p><p>Sam doesn't pick up. Dean frowns at the phone and tries again. And again.</p><p>At last Sam picks up, though his voice says the previous calls weren't so much missed as ignored. "Emma, I already told you I don't want a part in this. I asked you not to call, so please, just... leave me alone."</p><p>"You what?" Dean snaps in reply.</p><p>There's a pause. "...Dean?"</p><p>"Yeah. Dean," Dean confirms shortly. "What do you mean you don't want a part of this? A part of what?"</p><p>Sam's silence is conspicuous.</p><p>"In bringing me back? Is that it?" Dean says, as his gut sinks like a stone. "You didn't want me back, Sammy?"</p><p>"It... It wasn't like that," Sam says. "We promised, Dean. That we wouldn't do this again, that when we died we'd stay dead. Besides, we didn't know for sure where you'd gone. Emma went out on a hunch, and-"</p><p>"And she was right," Dean cuts him off.</p><p>"I'm glad she was."</p><p>Dean blinks rapidly, willing the stupid tears back where they came from. "Right. Sure. You just didn't want any part of it."</p><p>They both hold the silence. There's not much to say. Dean's brother wanted him to stay dead.</p><p>"Where are you?" Sam asks at last.</p><p>Dean presses his fingers and thumb to his eyes and takes a breath. Rattles off the motel they're planning on stopping at. Sam says he'll be there soon and Dean almost believes he means it.</p><p>"Dad?" Emma asks quietly.</p><p>He clears his throat. "Yeah?"</p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>"'M fine," Dean lies. He tugs at her hair, shorter than he remembers and coloured with a fast-fading purple streak that's no doubt Charlie's doing. "Finally saw a hairdresser, huh?"</p><p>Emma rolls her eyes but her pleased smile lights up her face even with the teenaged sass.</p><p>"Okay. I for one am starving," Dean says. "Let's go find some burgers." He grimaces. "No triple meat."</p><p> </p><p>Emma convinces Cas to stick around through a combination of constant bombardment and the ever famous kid strategy of 'just five more minutes'. Cas doesn't look all that pleased about it, though he makes no move to stop her.</p><p>"Emma, how about you go pick out some dessert for the road?" Dean suggests. They've got a way to go to the motel Dean told Sam about and he wouldn't mind a sugar rush to get him through the trip.</p><p>Emma hops up, ever enthusiastic about dessert and the possibility of pie.</p><p>"You doin' okay, Cas?" Dean asks as soon as she's occupied with pastry.</p><p>Cas aims a weak smile towards him and doesn't meet his eye. "I am doing fine, Dean. It is good to be back."</p><p>"Yeah," Dean agrees softly. He knows Cas hadn't counted on ever getting out of Purgatory. He's pretty sure Cas saw the whole thing as some kind of penance for all the shit he pulled, and he doesn't know how to convince him that he deserves to be out. Dean's been there and he still doesn't know. Instead he sticks his courage to the screwing place, or... wait, that's not... whatever. He pulls himself together and leans down across the table to catch Cas's eye. "Are you sticking around?"</p><p>Cas sighs heavily and shakes his head. "I don't know. I should... I should look in on what's going on in Heaven. If they'll even have me now. I've caused so much damage."</p><p>Dean wants to tell him it's okay, that he had the best intentions, but Dean of all people knows that isn't good enough. This is Cas's mess, and he has to deal with it, no matter what his intentions were. No matter that Dean wants him here. Needs him. "Yeah, well. We'll always have you. Don't be a stranger."</p><p>Cas smiles again at that. He doesn't say goodbye and he doesn't wait for Emma to come back to the table. Dean blinks and he's gone.</p><p>Emma's look of disappointment when she comes back to find there's only Dean left echoes Dean's own disappointment and he decides the best course of action is to bury their feelings in junk food and good music. </p><p>"Come on," Dean says, throwing bills on the table to cover their bill. "We'll pick up pie and snacks before we say bye to Benny."</p><p>"Benny's not coming with us?" Emma asks neutrally. She hasn't really formed much of an opinion on the vampire yet, and Dean knows its his own transmitted paranoia of supernatural creatures that keeps her from getting on with him. Benny's been nothing but nice to her.</p><p>"I don't think so," Dean tells her. He doesn't say Sam wouldn't let him stick around anyway. A monster niece is one thing, and even that was touch and go a lot of the time, a random vampire Dean brought back with him from monster hell won't fly. Dean knows that.</p><p>Dean's struck, as they say their brief goodbyes to Benny, by how alone he nearly was. He's saying goodbye to too many friends today, with only the promise of a mixed reception from the brother who didn't want him back in return. Then they turn to leave, and Emma's shoulder bumps his. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss into her hair. </p><p>
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</p><p>They drive Emma's car. Piece of crap that it is, it's the only car they've got available without resorting to grand theft auto, and she seems a little more attached to it than she'll admit. Emma drives with confidence and ease when it's her turn behind the wheel, insisting that she pull her weight and that she can handle highways. Dean doesn't bother asking what happens if they get pulled over. It'd only get him another eye roll.</p><p>Besides, Dean was driving highways at younger than... well, not younger than a year old. But younger than she is physically and legally.</p><p>Emma reaches for a sugar dusted doughnut and Dean winces as she smears the white powder all over the steering wheel, doughnut gripped precariously between thumb and forefinger while her other fingers steer. The sugar gets everywhere, specking her wristband and falling onto her jeans and- Dean's gaze gets caught on the raised section of scarring peeking out from beneath her wristband. </p><p>Whatever it is, it's clear that she doesn't want it seen. The wristband is probably less a stylistic choice and more a camouflage. </p><p>"So, did life with Sheriff Mills get too boring for you?" Dean asks, peeling his eyes away.</p><p>Emma hums and talks through a mouthful of doughnut. "Jody's great."</p><p>"But?"</p><p>"She made me do math homework," Emma says with a smirk.</p><p>Dean chuckles obligingly and tries to think of a way to broach the fact that secrets never work out well for Winchesters. "So, what have you been up to while I've been in monsterland?"</p><p>She shrugs and keeps her attention glued to the road. "Looking for you."</p><p>"That's it?" Dean presses. "You just... spent the whole year trawling for info on Purgatory?"</p><p>"Not the whole year," Emma admits. "I went to school. It was lame. I saw Star Wars. Spent a bunch of time eating spray cheese."</p><p>"So why'd you leave?" </p><p>Emma looks over at him at last. "You missed my birthday."</p><p>
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</p><p>The phone, or rather Emma's phone, rings nearly as soon as they set foot in the motel room. Emma answers it and puts it on speaker.</p><p>"So you remember the door was jammed and no one could get it open until it just, like, flew open for you?" Charlie's bright voice comes through into the dull room.</p><p>"Yeah," Emma says.</p><p>"Well, it's stuck again."</p><p>"You're not stuck inside, are you?" Emma asks.</p><p>"No," Charlie answers. "But I did leave some stuff in there. Listen, I think it might be a magic lock of some kind."</p><p>"A magic lock? Really?" Dean asks. He doesn't doubt it, but it still sounds dumb to him. </p><p>"I know. But I've tried everything I can think of to get that door open and nothing. And before Emma opened it the folks around here tried, too, and they didn't get anywhere," Charlie says.</p><p>Dean frowns. "Why would a magic lock open for Emma?"</p><p>"I have no idea. I'm looking into it."</p><p>"Right." Dean doesn't feel so great about not knowing how his kid is going around opening magic doors. Seems like the kind of thing that could end up blowing up in their faces.</p><p>Emma finishes up the phone call while Dean broods, and before he knows it she's changed into her pyjamas and pulled out the take out menu the motel put out alongside a few brochures for local attractions and a complimentary bowl of mints. Her wristband is still in place.</p><p>"Getting an early night?" Dean questions. It's barely gone eight.</p><p>Emma doesn't answer.</p><p>"Hey," Dean says, softer but firmer. "What's goin' on?"</p><p>"Are you going to send me back to Jody's?" Emma asks at last. She stares at the wall for a moment, then turns a determined face on him. "Get me out of the way so you and Uncle Sam can-" </p><p>Dean waits for her to finish, but she doesn't. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>"I know he doesn't want me around. And that's why we left Benny, isn't it? 'Cause Uncle Sam wouldn't like it?" Emma continues. "And Cas. He's not human either and he doesn't stay."</p><p>"You think I-" Dean cuts himself off and thinks longingly of the bar across the street. "I didn't send Cas away, okay? He leaves on his own. And Sam, he... It's not that he doesn't want you around-"</p><p>"Sure." Emma climbs into bed. She doesn't lie down yet. "Are you, though? Going to send me back to Jody's?"</p><p>"Do you want to go back to Jody's?"</p><p>A pause. "No."</p><p>Dean shrugs. "Then you're not going back to Jody's."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sam's arrival seems to put Emma on edge. Dean can't blame her, but he can't figure out a way around it either. He's tried to talk some sense into Sam so many times before Purgatory and it never made a difference.</p><p>He still seems wary of and a little hostile towards Emma, but Sam greets her with a respectful nod at least, and even with the awkwardness, Dean warrants a manly hug. "So," Sam says when they pull apart. "Purgatory."</p><p>"Yeah," Dean says. "Three for three on afterlives."</p><p>Sam nods and looks away. "How was it?"</p><p>Dean looks at him incredulously. What, did he want a vacation slideshow? "Well the weather was nicer in Hell, but Purgatory locals were a little friendlier."</p><p>Sam ignores the sarcasm. "Where's Cas?"</p><p>"He went off to check in on Heaven," Dean tells him.</p><p>"Is that... I mean, is that safe?" Sam frowns. "He can't be too popular up there right now?"</p><p>"He's a big boy, I'm sure he can take care of himself," Dean says, though honestly he wonders the same thing. Cas isn't exactly in peak condition to be fighting off the armies of Heaven if things go south.</p><p>"Cas thinks they'll be too scattered to come after him," Emma says, flipping the page of a book that Dean's genuinely worried might be bound in human skin. "Apparently things were too chaotic to have gotten back to normal while you were gone, and Cas thinks he still has at least some loyalists he can turn to to start getting things back on track. He said something about how the angels will have felt the disturbance in the force when he came back." She looks up. "I mean, he didn't actually say 'disturbance in the force'."</p><p>Dean stares. "When did he tell you all that?" He'd known Emma had been pestering Cas with questions, but he hadn't realised Cas had actually been <em>answering </em>them.</p><p>Emma turns back to her book. "When you and Benny were messing with my car."</p><p>"Can barely call it a car," Dean mutters.</p><p>"Anyway," Emma says. "He seemed to think that if they were able to go after him right now, they already would've before he left."</p><p>Dean doesn't like that assumption. There's not much he can do about it, though, so he leaves it.</p><p>"Okay," Sam says after a beat of silence. He doesn't seem to have anything to add to it though, and the silence grows again and becomes awkward.</p><p>"So," Dean says brightly. "You got a case or somethin'?"</p><p>Sam shifts in place. "Actually, I uh, I've not been hunting."</p><p>"What?" Dean asks, a little dumbfounded.</p><p>"He got a dog," Emma pipes up.</p><p>Sam glares at her and Dean fights the urge to move inbetween them. "You know I never wanted this life, Dean. And with you gone... there was nothing to keep me in it."</p><p>Dean's not dumb enough suggest taking care of his niece might've been a good tie to it all. </p><p>"And a girlfriend," Emma adds.</p><p>"Seriously?" Sam snaps at her.</p><p>Emma shrugs. "Well, you did."</p><p>"So that's what this is about? A girl?" Dean says, the pieces slotting together. "Is that why you didn't want me back? So you could settle down with a chick and a dog and a white picket fence?"</p><p>"God, no, Dean," Sam says, hand raising to tangle into his stupidly long hair. "It wasn't like that."</p><p>"Then what was it like?" Dean asks. "'Cause I must be missing somethin' here."</p><p>Sam sighs. "We promised, after everything that's gone down, that we wouldn't keep doing this. That we wouldn't try to bring each other back."</p><p>Dean throws his hands out. "And then we do it anyway!"</p><p>"Why, Dean?"</p><p>"Because we're family!"</p><p>"Did you leave the dog at home?" Emma asks. Her voice is flippant but Dean can see her white knuckled grip on her book, the way she hasn't lifted her eyes from the page since they started raising their voices.</p><p>The tension in Dean's body evaporates.</p><p>"Would you shut the hell up?" Sam snaps.</p><p>And it's back again. "Watch your mouth!"</p><p>"Why don't you ask her what <em>she</em> did while you were gone, huh?" Sam retaliates.</p><p>Dean hesitates, glancing at Emma, whose eyes have finally lifted from the page in front of her.</p><p>"I got a call from Jody nearly eight months ago," Sam says, staring right back into Emma's laser focused gaze. "She was frantic. Emma didn't come home from school. She couldn't find her anywhere."</p><p>"Emma?" Dean asks without looking away from his brother.</p><p>"Funny thing is, she came back all on her own seven months later. Not a scratch on her," Sam says. "Right after a hunter burned down a house full of Amazons."</p><p>The fighting. Her wrist.</p><p>"Dad-"</p><p>"Take off your wristband," Dean orders.</p><p>Emma flinches, then slowly complies. She doesn't pull away when Dean grabs for her wrist and looks at the scar there. The Amazon brand. She licks her lips. "It's not what you think."</p><p>"Oh?" Dean asks. He feels like his chest is splitting in two. It's hard to take a breath. If she's initiated, if she's killing people-</p><p>"A hunter didn't kill them," Emma says. </p><p>Dean meets her eyes for a long moment, weighing the truth in them. </p><p>Emma's voice is quiet but insistent when she speaks again. "I haven't killed anyone else. Anything else."</p><p>Dean doesn't have to look at Sam to know he's unconvinced, but Dean doesn't want to hear it. Still, he doesn't interfere when Sam starts his questioning.</p><p>"So why didn't they kill you? What, they just let you hang out for seven months? How did you even find them?" Sam asks.</p><p>"They found me," Emma tells them. She pulls herself up to sit from her position lying on her stomach. "They said they knew I wasn't a runaway and they offered to take me back in." She scoffs. "And when I say offered, it was that or <em>become </em>a run away, and they don't like runaways."</p><p>"So you went with them?" Sam asks.</p><p>She nods. "They trained me. Taught me. I thought if I learned what I could from them that it might help me figure out how to find Dad. At least I'd be able to take care of myself."</p><p>Sam folds his arms. "Why'd you leave?"</p><p>Emma glares at him.</p><p>"Sam, stop," Dean says at last. Either he believes Emma and she's good, or he doesn't and she's a killer. A monster. And he knows what he has to do to monsters. He can't do that to his daughter.</p><p>"You believe her," Sam says and it's not a question. He shakes his head. "Of course."</p><p>"It's the truth," Emma snaps. She slams her book shut and flings herself off the bed and towards the door. </p><p>"Where are you going?" Dean asks.</p><p>"Out."</p><p>"Emma-"</p><p>"When you've figured out if you're gonna kill me or not, I'll be at the library," She says. The door slams behind her.</p><p>"Dean-"</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>Sam sighs. "I know you want to believe her. I know she's... important to you."</p><p>"She's my kid, Sam," Dean says. No matter how many times he says it, it never seems to stick. "And yeah, I believe her. She's not one of them. Why would she bother to come find me? Get me out of Purgatory? Their whole thing is killing their dads, not bringing them back from the dead. I don't know what the hell your problem is, but she's the only person in this family who <em>hasn't </em> screwed up."</p><p>"My problem?" Sam says, flinging his arms wide like the drama queen he is. "She's not human, Dean. She was born to kill, that's what she's built for. You're the one who's always said a monster is a monster. You're the one who always says we have to put them down. You killed Amy-"</p><p>"The kitsune chick?" Dean says, frowning. Was that what this was about? "Are you sulking 'cause I killed your girlfriend? Sam, she was killing people!"</p><p>Sam's jaw ticks. </p><p>"Please tell me you've not been treating your niece like shit because you're pissed at me?" Dean presses.</p><p>"She's not my niece, Dean!" Sam explodes, all the tension erupting through his voice and skin. "You treat her like she's... like she's a kid, but she's not! She never was! And you can't just pretend your way into her being human!"</p><p>Dean opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.</p><p>Sam isn't finished though. "This has nothing to do with Amy, okay? I'll admit, I was pissed at you for killing her, and then for taking in Emma like... But it doesn't matter! What matters is that Emma's not your kid, she's an Amazon. She's a killer, and if you're not careful it's gonna be us she kills. Or our friends, who you keep leaving her alone with."</p><p>"That's bullshit," Dean rasps. "That's bullshit and you know it. Emma's never lifted a finger against any of us. You've always been the one sayin' we should give monsters a chance if they ain't hurting anyone. Emma's not hurting anyone. She never has, and she's had plenty of opportunity. Hell, even Cas is fine with her. You're the only one who has a problem." He grabs his jacket. He needs some air. God, he needs a <em>drink</em>, but he's got over a year of sobriety all told and he's not gonna break that streak while Sam's still in stabbing distance of Emma. "I don't know what the hell your issue is, but you're lying to yourself if you think that's it."</p><p>With that he leaves his asshole brother to it. Dean doesn't want to fight with him anymore, and that's all they'll do if he stays, so he decides now is as good a time as any to go find a quiet place to call Jody. She'll know a hell of a lot more about what Emma's been up to the last few months than Sam does.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Suspicious Minds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emma flips through the textbooks in front of her angrily enough she nearly tears a page and forces herself to calm down. She's in no state of mind to do anything productive, and the fact that even with her supernatural memory she can't remember a single thing she's been studying for the past hour is testiment to that, but she doesn't know what else to do. She'd switch from normal school subjects to supernatural ones but she doubts that'd fair any better and it's not like the local library is likely to have much by way of research materials. Even if Uncle Sam usually managed to find something.</p><p>She violently flips another page and this one does tear a little. "Dammit." She closes the book, and then the others spread out over the table. </p><p>Nothing presents itself as a viable distraction. It's not like she's short of options. She has her wallet with her, flush with stolen Amazon cash, and bank accounts containing more of the same, and if she really wants to she can go back to the motel to get her car. She can go anywhere in town. Further if she doesn't mind freaking Dad out. But there's nothing she wants to do. Hell, she's not even sure she knows what she <em>likes </em>to do. It's not like she's had a huge amount of opportunity to find out between growing up in a motel room, having no friends at school, boarding at monster high and then road tripping to find obscure supernatural knowledge about Purgatory.</p><p>Maybe she should.</p><p>But the having no friends problem is still there, and she's legally only fifteen so anyplace with age restrictions is a no go. Maybe the movies? Or there might be an arcade or something nearby? Her only examples come from watching TV and overhearing her classmates talk.</p><p>After fruitlessly walking the highstreet for awhile, the only thing that's even a little appealing is the minimart. </p><p>Her fingers are crossed in hope as she brings her loot back to the motel room, but it does no good. Uncle Sam's still there, talking away to his girlfriend on the phone. Dad's gone, though.</p><p>Emma nearly considers walking straight back out, but she's no coward. This is her and Dad's room, and she doesn't really think Uncle Sam will hurt her. Not without a reason.</p><p>Uncle Sam ends his call and avoids looking at her as she climbs onto her bed and empties her bag onto it. He glances over and gets caught on the heap of junk food. "Is that three different cans of spray cheese?" He asks despite himself.</p><p>Emma shrugs. It's her go to comfort food these days, but there's no way in hell she's explaining that whole mess to him. "You want any?"</p><p>He frowns. "Uh. No. Thanks."</p><p>She shrugs again and opens a can, spraying it into her mouth until she can barely close her lips.</p><p>They sit in awkward silence until Uncle Sam shifts and clears his throat. "So is that like an amazon thing? You need lots of protein or something?"</p><p>She rolls her eyes and swallows the gunk that can barely be classed as a foodstuff. "No. I eat the same as a regular human." She pauses in thought. "A little more than most people, maybe."</p><p>"Probably to get the extra energy for your strength," Sam nods.</p><p>"Maybe." Emma looks him over. He's not been this neutral since long before the Lucifer hallucinations got bad. "I also have a really good memory, and my senses are a little better than the average person. I might heal a little faster, too, but I'm not sure on that one. I'm not any more durable than a regular human, that's for sure." She scowls as she remembers some of the nastier cuts and bruises from her training.</p><p>"And then there's the, uh..." He gestures to her eyes and hands.</p><p>"Oh," she looks down at her perfectly ordinary looking hands. "Yeah. Those."</p><p>"I've never seen you, you know, in Amazon form."</p><p>Emma scoffs. "Yeah, 'cause what our relationship really needed was for you to see me as even less human than you already do."</p><p>"But Dean has?"</p><p>"Obviously." Emma watches him. "Jody, too."</p><p>"Charlie?" </p><p>She shakes her head. "I'm not sure what she thinks about me. It's gotta have been pretty obvious I'm not normal, but for all I know she just thinks Dean had me super young and abducted me from foster care when I grew up or something. I never asked."</p><p>He hesitates. "Can I... Can I see it?"</p><p>"You mean my monster face?" Emma asks skeptically. "You sure you won't reach for a gun the second I show you?"</p><p>He firms his jaw and sets his shoulders. "Show me."</p><p>Emma thinks for a second. "Okay. But if you shoot me, Dad's gonna be pissed." She flexes her fingers and lets the change flow over her. It feels like that moment after your ears pop from a pressure change. Everything gets a little sharper, brighter, louder, before her senses adjust.</p><p>Sam doesn't move. His gaze tracks over her eyes, her fingers, but he doesn't flinch or reach for a weapon. "I thought it would make it different."</p><p>"Make what different?" Emma asks. She doesn't change back. Just squirts some more cheese into her mouth and waits for an answer.</p><p>"Seeing you like..." He shakes his head. "You still look like you."</p><p>"I don' gerrih," Emma garbles through cheese.</p><p>He almost smiles at that. "Maybe Dean's right."</p><p>Emma swallows. "About?"</p><p>"Nothing." He fixes his gaze on her talons. "I just thought Dean was ignoring it. Pretending you were normal."</p><p>"He does," Emma admits. She knows it makes Dad uncomfortable, being reminded of what she is, but he's never loved her any less for it so it doesn't sting too badly.</p><p>He shakes his head again. "But you're not any different. You're not pretending."</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>"I still don't trust you," he tells her.</p><p>That doesn't sting much either. His dislike lost its power a while ago.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dad comes back half an hour later, to find Emma watching the motel room TV, and Sam trying to look like he's doing the same rather than frowning suspiciously at her non-stop. </p><p>"Where'd you go?" Emma asks lightly. She hadn't been worried. Not really. It's just hard to rationalise with her instinct not to let him out of her sight now she's finally got him back. </p><p>He waves his cell phone around as if that explains it. "Catching up. Jody says hi."</p><p>Emma nods. "How is she?"</p><p>"Good. She's good. Only good things to say about you, kiddo," Dad reassures somewhat half-heartedly. "Don't think she'll be volunteering for babysitting duty again any time soon, though."</p><p>Uncle Sam scoffs quietly.</p><p>"Charlie had some interesting things to say about your time together."</p><p>That doesn't sound good. Emma mutes the TV and tries to be casual about turning her full attention to him.</p><p>Sam doesn't bother being casual.</p><p>Dad waits until he has solid eye contact with her, eyebrows slightly raised, waiting for her to come clean of her own accord.</p><p>Emma swallows. "We, uh.... We found a lot of stuff out about Purgatory while we were looking for you."</p><p>Sam's eyes dart between them like he's watching an invisible fencing match, waiting to see who takes a hit, who backs down.</p><p>Emma caves. She doesn't know how much Charlie gave away, but she knows it won't stay secret forever. Probably shouldn't, even. "So, you know found the reaper info in that weird Men of Letters place, and we found out about the Men of Letters not that long ago. We spent a lot of time just kind of... flailing around in the dark. Just trying to find anything we could. You guys know how hard it is to find anything, Cas and Crowley searched for months, and they had all of Hell and half of Heaven to help. We had nothing, really. Just the internet and whatever random books we could find in library mythology section. I read the bible back to front like five times it was-"</p><p>"Emma."</p><p>"It was hard, is the point," Emma forces herself to come to the point. "It was our only lead when we started."</p><p>"What was?" Uncle Sam asks warily.</p><p>"Crowley."</p><p>"What did you do?"</p><p>"She made a deal," Sam says in a tone of vindication. He turns to Emma. "Didn't you?"</p><p>"No!" Emma says. Then, "It didn't get that far. Charlie unsummoned him when he said he wanted Kevin."</p><p>"You summoned the King of Hell? What were you thinking!" Dad rages.</p><p>"That he knew how to get into Purgatory!" Emma replies easily. "He was going to tell me, too. We were just figuring out terms, and then he realised I was a Winchester and it went to shit."</p><p>"He knows about you? Who you are?" Dad asks.</p><p>Emma shrugs. "I dunno. He knows I'm a Winchester. I don't know if he knows I'm your daughter."</p><p>"What does he want with Kevin?" Sam asks quietly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Dad freezes. Clearly he heard it too. The guilt. </p><p>Another shrug. "Charlie got rid of him before I could ask. I'd imagine prophet stuff," Emma says.</p><p>Dad doesn't even acknowledge that she's spoken, eyes still locked on Uncle Sam. "Where is Kevin?"</p><p>Emma looks to Uncle Sam, too, curious over his reaction. </p><p>"I, uh," Sam doesn't meet either of their gazes. "I'm not sure?"</p><p>"You lost him?!"</p><p>"I wasn't keeping track," Sam says, like that's better. "Look, we still have his number, I'm sure we can find him easy enough. I'm sure he's fine."</p><p>And Emma's sure he's full of shit. "I know where he is."</p><p>They both snap towards her in sync. "What?"</p><p>This... might be a little hard to explain without sounding really, really bad. </p><p>"You were going to take the deal, weren't you?" Sam asks at last.</p><p>"No!" Emma repeats unconvincingly. "Not really. I just... thought it might be useful to know. Keep my options open." She looks between them. "I wouldn't really have done it!"</p><p>She wouldn't have. Probably. She never really met Kevin properly, so it was easy to imagine it when she felt desperate. Easy to make it her back up plan. But if she'd had to go through with it she'd probably have got as far as seeing him in person before backing out. And that's if Charlie didn't figure it out and stop her before she even got that far.</p><p>"Right," Sam says flatly.</p><p>Dad's jaw twitches but he doesn't comment. "So where is he? He doin' okay?"</p><p>"Well, he's alive," which as far as Emma's concerned is doing pretty good. After all, her circle of family and friends contained pretty much five people and two of them died, even if she did kill one of them herself and resurrect the other one. "I'll have to double check he's still where he was last time I looked, he moves around a lot."</p><p>Dad tries to call him first, finding some kind of disturbing voicemails from the guy in question in the process, which are doubled on the phone Uncle Sam stopped answering when Dad went missing. Kevin's old number no longer works, though, and Emma happens to know that his email address has been inactive for months. In person contact is the only way to go from there.</p><p>Emma gives them her notes. The information she has on the Trans and on Kevin's previous locations, patterns of behviour, known contacts etc. He's smart and has managed to stay ahead of demons and angels alike, but he's just a normal person, or was before the whole prophet thing. He's not overly difficult to track down when you're friends with a hacker and a cop. Sometimes the human way is the better way.</p><p>Uncle Sam is none too keen on the idea of Emma being with them when they meet up with Kevin. Honestly, Emma can't really blame him for that one. And to be fair, if she were in Kevin's shoes she'd probably not want her around either</p><p>"It's fine," Emma says, when it looks like Dad might actually argue. "I'll go check on Charlie or something. She's been holed up on her own with those books for long enough, she could probably use a sanity check."</p><p>Uncle Sam brought the Impala, he kept it after all. Dad looks so happy at the sight of that damn car that Emma almost changes her mind. She's already reluctant to separate again, and the idea of him driving off in the Impala with Uncle Sam like nothing ever changed, like it's where he belongs, is enough to have her eyeing her own hunk of junk bitterly. She'll never belong that way.</p><p>She shrugs it off, though. They already agreed to this, and she's not so childish as to put her feelings in front of whatever the King of Hell wants with Kevin.</p><p>At least whatever Charlie's learned from the New Orleans Bunker will probably be interesting, and they might find enough down time to watch some more old cult TV shows. It'll be good to be likened to a vampire slayer rather than a monster again, and she won't miss the constant suspicious glances, some of which even come from her dad since he saw her brand. Since she told them about Crowley.</p><p>She makes good time, only making a few stops for sleep and bathroom breaks along the way, eager to be in friendly company again. </p><p>Charlie's possibly more enthusiastic about getting back into the bunker than she is about Emma's presence, but she still greets her with a hug, a pet name and an offer to get her a drink from the internet cafe she's camped out in. </p><p>"Any luck getting the door open again?" Emma asks, though she knows the answer.</p><p>"No," Charlie says. "But I did find something interesting. Remember I said it might be a locking spell? Well it looks like the Men of Letters guys did know some magic, and used it. It's possible they wanted to make sure only they could get into their bases, with or without a key. Likely, even. The question is-"</p><p>"Why did it let me in?" Emma finishes for her. She's been thinking about that a lot on the trip over. Not only is she not one of the Men of Letters, but she's not even human. Presumably the last person they'd want in their secret place was a supernatural creature. </p><p>"Exactly."</p><p>Emma takes a sip of her drink and mulls it over some more. There's little chance she'll find an answer she didn't find in the hours of driving, but it seems the thing to do.</p><p>"There is one thing I found," Charlie says, whipped cream lining half of her top lip.</p><p>Emma smiles a little both at Charlie's enthusiasm and her dorkiness.</p><p>"Some of the documents I managed to sift through before I got locked out mentioned legacies. Like, descendants of the Men of Letters," Charlie continues obliviously. "They seemed pretty sure their kids and grandkids and so on and so forth would take up the family business, and they prepped for it. There were training manuals that included bits and pieces about it, but mostly it just seemed to be taken as read. Even the daughters were expected to marry potential recruits."</p><p>They both pull a face at that. Emma adds on a sound of disgust. "Were there really no women?"</p><p>Charlie shrugs. "I found a few references here and there, but it wasn't completely clear whether they were talking about female Men of Letters or just people that helped them out. Like psychics or occassionally witches. There might have been one or two, I guess."</p><p>This whole thing really wasn't endearing the dead society to her. Emma shakes her head, trying to get her mind back on topic. "So, what? You think I'm one of these legacies or something?" The thought was kind of ridiculous.</p><p>"It's possible," Charlie says. "At the very least it's a working theory, and the best one I've got."</p><p>"It really isn't," Emma assures her.</p><p>Charlie shrugs. "Stranger things have happened."</p><p>Emma thinks about the idea of being the descendant of two sexist secret societies obsessed with killing things and raising their kids to kill things. Namely each other. "It would be kind of funny. It a scary kind of way."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They spend a week in the bunker, which opens just as easily for Emma as it did the first time, before Charlie reluctantly admits she should be going back to work. </p><p>"I've got a thing coming up, and I don't wanna miss it 'cause I ran out of holiday days and money," Charlie says. "Awesome as all this is, it's been here forty odd years, it'll probably still be here in a couple months."</p><p>Emma nods and tries not to feel abandoned. She's the one that chose to leave Dad, Jody, and the Amazons. "Yeah, sure."</p><p>"You wanna come?"</p><p>Emma frowns in confusion. "To work?"</p><p>Charlie laughs. "To the thing. To Moondoor. It's like a renaissance fair kinda. But with duelling and camping and fun stuff."</p><p>"Maybe," Emma says, meaning 'what the hell are you talking about'. The words make sense individually, but she's not got a whole lot of knowledge to contextualise them. Sometimes it's extremely weird being a one year old teenager.</p><p>Charlie sets off the next day and Emma spends the whole morning moping. She doesn't like being alone. Maybe that's a little hypocritical seeing as she's more often the one leaving than being left, but it still feels like she's tetherless. Like no one really wants her enough to ask her to stay and to stay with her in return. She knows that's dramatic and what Jody would probably call her teenage angst while rolling her eyes. Doesn't make it feel any less true, though.</p><p>By the afternoon, she's sucked it up and decided to check in on Dad. She gets voicemail eight times in a row and is close to chasing him down before he answers. He doesn't sound good.</p><p>"We lost him," Dad says, and Emma feels herself go cold at his tone. "He doesn't want anything to do with us and Crowley has the demon tablet. You should stay with Charlie until we fix this."</p><p>Emma takes a steadying breath, bracing against the rejection. He's just trying to protect her. That's all it is. It's not him leaving her behind again now he's got Sam back. "Okay."</p><p>"I'll keep you updated, just... don't go getting yourself involved," Dad tells her. "We got this."</p><p>"Sure. There's still loads to go through here anyway," Emma lies. </p><p>The second the phone call is over Emma grabs all the information she has on the Trans and starts looking. Whatever went down it's not good, and if Crowley has the tablet it's only a matter of time before he gets Kevin too. She has no idea what'll happen if he gets Kevin to read the tablet, but she's willing to bet it'll be a whole load of extra badness given it's the King of Hell.</p><p>When she finds the Craigslist ad, she knows she made the right call. </p>
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